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Will the internet ever take off?

Written by Ben Fountain

Wednesday, 05 December 2007

Senior managers across the East of England are missing easy opportunities to hone their skills, as they "fail to make use of the online resources available to them," according to a new study by the Chartered Management Institute and Centre for Applied Human Resource Research. Figures, published yesterday, show that technological and cultural barriers have hindered widespread uptake of online learning in the region, despite recognition of the business benefits it brings.   And infrastructures are no longer a viable excuse according to the report. The findings confirm that internet access is readily available for the majority of senior managers in the East of England (90 per cent).  However, most (76 per cent) admit they spend 30 minutes or less using company intranets, the internet or e-learning materials to solve any one problem.  Only 59 per cent in the region have made use of online management resources in the past year and just 6 per cent have participated in a structured e-learning programme. A majority (62 per cent) in the East of England suggest online learning is a powerful resource for today’s busy executives as they can ‘dip in and out as time allows’.  One-third (32 per cent) in the region also believe the ‘constant availability for reference’ is a benefit and 1 in 5 (21 per cent) focus on the cost-effectiveness of online resources. Excellent in theory, but not so good in practice, it appears. Almost half (48 per cent) say they have ‘too many distractions’ diverting them from PC-based development and 18 per cent in the region argue the content fails to ‘engage’ them.  21 per cent say they lack the motivation to complete online courses, with 18 per cent blaming lack of ‘appropriate support’. Business culture is a significant factor. 50 per cent of respondents in East Anglia claim resistance to e-learning is caused by the ‘loss of the human touch’.  68 per cent still prefer face-to-face conversations and 36 per cent suggest ‘tutor-led’ development is most effective   Jo Causon, director, marketing and corporate affairs at the Chartered Management said: "There are clear business benefits to adopting e-learning models, but until organisations provide engaging development tools and support alongside these, uptake will continue to be slow.  "However, the integration of social networking with other online routes is likely to help this process, particularly as personal development will go beyond the boundaries of organisations."

 

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